I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, quality and freedom for their spirits.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Strategies

The Foundation can assist local churches with several important components of their planned giving programs.  Contact us for more details or to have staff meet with your committee.

• Gift acceptance policies and guidelines
  These documents describe the types of assets and gifts that donors may give and the procedures for transferring assets, properly acknowledging the gift and providing the donor gift and tax information. Gift policies also address the handling of designated and undesignated gifts.

• Investment  and spending policies
  Investment policies identify the church’s investment goals and objectives, the kinds of investment vehicles that may be used and state a position on socially responsible investments.  The spending policy delineates the uses of income, appreciation and principal.

• Permanent Endowment Funds (More)
  Churches can establish a permanent endowment to encourage its members and friends to endow favorite ministries and ensure well-maintained facilities.  The principal of permanent endowment funds is retained in perpetuity and income from the investment of these funds is designated in the charter of the funds.  Foundation staff is available to assist with the process of developing permanent endowment funds.  The Endowment Fund Handbook (PDF) provides basic information about the process and rationale for permanent funds.

• Memorial and Honor Giving
  Most churches have a Memorial Fund and a small committee to assist with managing memorials.  The basic purpose of memorial giving is to remember a deceased person or past event.  Honor giving, on the other hand, is to honor a living friend or loved one or to celebrate a special occasion.  By organizing, promoting and acknowledging these gifts, the church can expand these funds and give family and friends the opportunity to recognize the importance of the church to loved ones.  Memorial and Honor Giving (PDF) provides information on how to organize, promote and thank donors who make gifts to this fund.

• Education and promotion
  We can  help plan an ongoing program (PDF) in your local church to encourage planned giving.  The Foundation will provide ideas, resources and leadership in interpreting planned giving and endowment funds.

Planned giving strategies provide information on a variety ways donors may make a planned gift and the types of assets that may be used to make a gift.